Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion, officially called the 1st Iowa Volunteers, was an infantry unit almost exclusively made up of Mormon men and a few women making it the only unit in US Military history organized strictly along religious background. They undertook the longest infantry march in U.S. military history and explored vast regions of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The invitation to serve was actually the result of talks between Mormon leaders living on the East Coast of the United States, and U.S. Government officials. Jesse C. Little, presiding elder of the Mormon Church in the eastern United States, met with President Polk and offered Mormon assistance in exploring and fortifying the American West in return for monetary help. Polk proposed enlisting Mormon men to fight in the controversial U.S.-Mexican War. Under Polk's orders Captain James Allen met with the Mormon leaders in Iowa and Nebraska and asked for five hundred men. In exchange, the impoverished Mormons, who had just been driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, received much needed funds to finance their trek west. Footnotes: * (SD) - Sick Detachment of soldiers that left the battalion in Santa Fe and returned north to join the main body of the Saints at Pueblo Colorado. * (SM) - Detachment of battalion soldiers who after discharge from military service went to Northern California and were in the area of Sutters Mill at the time of the discovery of gold in early 1848. Commanding Officers Commanding Staff Battalion Guides * Appolonius * Chacon * Charboneauz, Jean Baptiste - Son of Sacajawea * Foster, Stephen G. * Francisco * Hall, Willard P. * Tasson * Thompson, Phillip * Weaver, Pauline W. Servants * Zemira Palmer (1831-1880) Roster: Company A Officers: * Jefferson Hunt (1803-1879) - Captain * George W Oman (1802-1882) - Lieutenant * William Wesley Willis (1811-1872) - 2nd Lieutenant * William Smith Muir (1822-1896) - Sargent * Ebenezer Brown (1802-1878) - Sargent * Alexander McCord (1811-1887) - Sargent * Hiram Berry Chase (1823-1892) - Sargent * Phineas Reddington Wright (1823-) - Sargent * Gilbert Hunt (1825-1858) - 1st Corporal / son of Captain Hunt * Lafayette N Frost - 2nd Corporal * Thomas Weir - Corporal * Henry Packard - Corporal * Marcus D.L. Shepherd - Corporal * Elisha Averett - Musician * W Richards Joseph - Musician Privates: * Allen, Albern * Allen, Rufus Chester * Allred, James Riley * Allred, James Tillmon Sanford * Allred, Reuben Warren (1827-1916) * Bailey, James * Beckstead, Gordon Silas * Beckstead, Orin Mortimer * Bevan, James * Bickmore, Gilbert * Blanchard, Mervin S. * Brass, Benjamin * Bronson, Clinton * Brown, John * Brown, William Walton * Bryant, John Strange * Butterfield, Jacob Kemp * Calkins, Alvah Chauncey * Calkins, Edwin R * Calkins, James Wood * Calkins, Sylvanus * Casper, William Wallace * Clark, Joseph * Clark, Riley Garner * Clifford, Isaac Newton * Clifford, John Price * Coleman, George * Cox, Henderson * Curtis, Josiah * Decker, Zachariah * Dobson, Joseph * Dodson, Eli * Earl, James Calvin * Egbert, Robert Cowden * Fairbanks, Henry * Ferguson, James * Fredrick, David Ira * Garner, David * Glines, James Harvey * Hunt, Marshall (1829-1915) - Son of Captain Hunt Women & Children: * Allred, Elizabeth Briget Manwaring - Wife of James TS Allred * Allred, Fent - Child of James TS Allred * Allred, Elzadie Emeline Ford - Wife of Reuben Allred * Brown, Phoebe Draper - Wife of Ebenezer Brown * Celia Mounts (1805-1897) - Wife of Captain Hunt * Jane Hunt (1831-1899) - Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * John Hunt (1833-1917) - Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Harriet Hunt (1835-1918) - Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Joseph Hunt (1837-1916) -Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Hyrum Hunt (1840-1880) -Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Parley Hunt (1845-1847) - Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Mary Hunt (1845-1930) - Child of Captain & Celia Hunt * Matilda Jane Nease (1828-1865) - 2nd Wife of Captain Hunt * Peter Nease (1834-1910) - Brother of Matilda Nease * Ellen Lucinda Nease (1836-1882) - Sister of Matilda Nease * Kelley, Malinda Allison - wife of Milton Kelley * Kelley, Malinda Catherine - child of Milton Kelley * Kelley, Sarah - Wife of Nickolas Kelley / * Kelley, Parley - Child of Nickolas Kelley * Sessions, Emmeline - Wife of John Sessions Roster: Company B Privates * Allen, Elijah (1826-1866) * Bickmore, Gilbert (1826-1896) Roster: Company C Officers: * Capt. James Brown (1801-1863) - Commander Jun 1846-Oct 1846 * 1st Lt. George Rosecrans - Commander Nov 1846-Jul 1847 Privates: * Adair, Wesley (1820-1903) * Richey, Benjamin (1823-1849) Roster: Company D Privates * Badham, Samuel (1815-1868) (SD) Roster: Company E Roster: Company F References * Mormon Battalion - Wikipedia * Ol' Buffalo Mormon Battalion Page * Mormon Battalion Association * Roster of Mormon Battalion Soldiers * LDS NewsMag - New Mormon Battalion site opens in San Diego, Caifornia, USA] * KCSG * LDS.org: Mormon Battalion Historic Site - San Diego CA * CRL: Mormon Battalion Trek